Back To The Books
by frozenangel1988
Summary: Spencer's mind was racing. He was going back to college. To catch a killer. Undercover. Without the team. (On hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

Back To The Books

Chapter One

The Assignment

Dr. Spencer Reid, 24, did not know that his life was about to change when he rolled out of bed that morning. He dressed in his normal clothes: cords, white button down, cheesy cheap tie, sweater vest, and Converses. It felt just like a regular day as he clutched his coffee while on the Metro on his way into the BAU, overcast and the threat of snow hanging in the air. He was earlier than the others that shared the bull pen, as usual. He planted his satchel on his desk and was about to pull out his chair to get a head start when Hotch's voice sliced into his attention.

"Reid. My office."

What was it now? He had not done anything against the handbook lately. A sense of dread filled Spencer as he made his way up into his boss's office.

"Close the door and sit down." Hotch's voice was devoid of emotion as usual. After closing the door, Reid settled himself down into the chair, trying to prevent his leg from shaking.

"What is it, Hotch?" The older man looked at the young profiler and bit on his bottom lip before he spoke.

"We got a request and you fit the qualifications."

"What type of request?"

"Undercover work."

"Me? Why me? Wouldn't Morgan be more suited for undercover work?" Spencer liked being himself, even if his shyness and brains kept him somewhat lonely outside the team.

"No. This is for you." Hotch handed Spencer a somewhat thick file. "You'll be going to New Jersey. Thompson University to be exact. There have been four murders in the fall semester. We need you to enroll, see if you can detect any patterns or anything of the like. You'll be coordinating with the field in Philadelphia since Thompson is closer to Philadelphia than Newark. Everything you need to know is in the file. You will be give an apartment off campus. Any questions?"

Spencer's mind was racing. He was going back to college. To catch a killer. Undercover. Without the team.

"No, Hotch. I got it. When do I leave?"

"Tonight. Go home and pack. We have no idea how long you'll be gone, so you need to shut down your apartment for now."

"Oh okay, Hotch." Spencer stood and had his hand on the door when Hotch's voice rung out again.

"And Reid?"

"Yes, Hotch?"

"Try to act your age while there. Act like a 24 year old college student. Got it?"

"I'll try my best, Hotch."

"I know you will. I'll tell the team. Now, get out of here and get ready."

Spencer nodded and left the unit chief in peace.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Holy Mother of Odin! So many alerts, favorites and five reviews! Waaaaaay more than I have ever expected! Thank you so much for reading my story. I have quite a bit of it sort of planned out in my head. Now, I know when Reid was 24 his hair was "somewhat short" but imagine him with the long Season 5 hair. Let me know if he seems sort of out of character. I'm not really too versed in stats myself. Anyway, I might have to pop up the rating in a few chapters or so, but let's enjoy this ride. :D

-Brittanie

Chapter Two

A New You and BAU

It was 1:37am and Spencer wanted to go to sleep in his own bed. Such a thing sadly would not be possible for whoever long he was undercover. He would be getting a new bed, along with a new life. He already missed his team. When Dr. Spencer Reid arrived at Philadelphia International Airport at 8:06pm, he was how he always was: Nerdy and shy with an air of what some would call an adorable innocence. Agent Sabrina Jackson had picked Spencer up in a small blue four door car. The ride was silent. He did not know this woman and it seemed to him that she had no desire to get to know him. He used this silence to observe the woman next to him. Agent Jackson was clearly a woman that was stuck in a boy's club. Her blonde hair was cropped short, sticking up in spikes on top of her tanned head. Her blue eyes were cold, fixed on the road. Her suit was impeccable and tailored to her muscular body. Her callous hands gripped the steering wheel, every ounce of her control poured into the task of driving. If she had not included her first name in her introduction, Spencer would have thought she was a man, with her deep voice.

In the hours between arriving and 1:37am, Spencer's person felt violated. According to Agent Jackson, Spencer looked weak, not like the type of person that could that take down a killer of four college students. The clothes he was comfortable in were shed for something more his age. He was now clad in a pair of worn jeans with the material missing on his right knee as well as directly below his left butt cheek. He traded in the white dress shirt, vest, and tie for a snug faded black t-shirt and beat up blue flannel which he was instructed to leave open. The only part of his usual wardrobe he was allowed to keep were his socks and shoes. They even made him change his brief in favor of boxers. They tussled his long hair and took away his glasses, giving him contacts. In addition to all this, his ears were throbbing due to the new rings in the bottom of each lobe. He felt like he walked out of a 1990 Nirvana show. And he had a bag of similar clothes next to him to continue the charade. To say the Dr. Spencer Reid hated Unit Chief Aaron Hotchner right now for approving the request for him to go undercover would be a gross understatement. Spencer was livid.

The newly formed Philadelphia BAU team was on its way back from the airport to speak to Spencer before he was dumped at his new apartment. He went over the details of the case in his mind. Four men dead. All juniors at Thompson University. Their throats were slashed and their bodies were dumped in the woods that cut the college campus in half, all three weeks apart, never reported missing until their bodies turned up. Aaron Daniels and Adam Kelly were Literature majors while Allen Taylor and Andrew Kyle were Journalism majors. Their names all resonated with Spencer. All began with "A" and their surnames could all be first names. There was nothing in the file suggesting that there was a connection between the names, but Spencer knew there had to be something. His pattern trained brain would not let it go.

It was then that the small Philadelphia BAU team arrived. It was 1:48am. The team consisted of two men and one woman, all covered in wetness that was a short time ago snow. The older of the two men Spencer could have mistaken for Hotch's father, with his grim expression, every movement exuding a former career as a lawyer. The younger of the two men wore thick stylish glasses and his left hand kept twitching towards his gun. The woman was the youngest in the group, Spencer could guess that she was almost 30 if not already. She had natural reddish orange hair, green eyes and pale skin. She was everything Agent Jackson was not. Girly with a trustworthy face.

The older of the two men stepped forward, offering his hand to Spencer when he stood to meet the man.

"I'm Agent Don Royston. I'm in charge of this team. These are Agents Matthew Young and Susan Danvers. You've already met our media specialist Agent Sabrina Jackson. I trust your flight went well." Spencer decided that this man's stare was worse than Hotch's. He wanted to melt into his shoes.

"Yes, it was fine."

"Good. I see that you've been given quite the successful make-over, Doctor. You do not even look remotely like you're the picture in your file."

"Well, I guess that was the point, sir." Spencer crossed his arms, looking down at his feet.

"It most certainly was, Doctor. Right, down to business. You'll be enrolling in Thompson as a Literature major, a transfer from Flagstaff University. Classes start in two days. Have you given any thought to your alias?" Royston glared at the younger man.

"Yes, I have. I noticed that there was a pattern in the names of the victims. All their first names begin with the letter 'A' and their surnames could all be used as first names, well that is if you chop of the 'S' on Aaron Daniels' last name. So, I thought that my best chance to put myself in the potential victim pool would be…" Royston cut Spencer off.

"Your name, Doctor. I'm tired and want to go home. Please get to the point."

"Sorry, I have a tendency to ramble. Hotch and Morgan are always yelling at me for it. I tend to…"

"Doctor, please." Royston moved his hand to his face with a sigh.

"Alexander Reid. My middle name is Alexander and my last name could already be construed as a first name, so I'll just chop off my first name and go by Alex Reid. Well, that is if that's fine with you, sir."

"Yes, that's fine…Alex. You'll be given a new cell phone. My number will be programmed under 'Dad' and Agents Young and Danvers will be under their first names. If you need them to join you on campus, Agent Young will be your older brother from my first marriage and Agent Danvers will be his fiancé. Agent Jackson will be my current wife, but not your mother. Now that we've got that settled., Agent Jackson will drive you home. Enroll and start observing and report back to us this weekend."

"Okay, sir."

"Get some rest, kid. This is going to be one hell of an assignment."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Once again, thank you for all the reviews and alerts and favorites! I love it! Criticism is welcome by the way. Anyway, what'd you guys think of that season finale last night? Brilliant! That's how it should be done! So, without any further ado, here's chapter 3.

-Brittanie

Chapter 3

Into The Swing of Things

Spencer Reid stood frozen, outside the classroom. His left hand gripped the strap of his satchel that held three novels and one notebook. He did not want to get out of bed this morning. It was the first day of Spencer Reid being Alex Reid in public. He yearned for his brown, crush jean jacket back and the reliability of his cords instead of the frayed black leather jacket that fell down to his thighs, just covering part of the hole in his back pocket. He had to admit though, the leather did hold up better in the snowy climate that the New Jersey skies had decided to dump onto campus today. He still stood outside Room 203 of Scott Hall, not wanting to go into his Literature of the Russian Empire class. But he had to. He, Spencer Reid had a job to do. A job to do as Alex Reid.

Alex Reid.

He was no longer Spencer.

Alex.

Alex.

He kept repeating his middle name as he wrenched himself through the doorway. The small classroom was full of twenty desks arranged in four rows of five but devoid of students so far. Spencer made his way instinctually over to a desk in the front row, but just before dropping his bag, he thought better of it. Spencer Reid always sat in the front room in the middle. Alex Reid was not Spencer Reid. Alex Reid would sit in the 4th row and in the 4th seat, right next to the window. As he pulled out his notebook and a pen, his new classmates began to trickle in.

Spencer was half way thru a doodle of a tornado when a thin stern woman with shortly cropped grayish blonde hair walked in the room. She reminded him of his mother, if his mother had kept her mental health. With a small smile, Spencer dropped his pen and crossed his arms as the professor wrote the course name on the board. A jolt of excitement went through him. He realized he had never truly taken a college level literature course, taking all his knowledge from his mother and his own research. He felt like he was were he belonged. Learning.

"I would say good morning class, but it seems like the weather had other plans for us today. It feels like I have been transported back to my childhood in Poland. Anyway, I am Professor Edyta Rabinski. This is Literature of the Russian Empire. Make sure you are in the right class. Any questions before I take roll?"

Silence followed the Professor Rabinski's welcoming speech. Even if she had not been forthcoming with her country of origin, her voice was laced with an accent that hinted at English not being her first language. Spencer bet it wasn't even her second language.

"Alright then. Shall we? Say your major, where you are from and some interesting hobby about yourself so we can get to know each other. Okay?"

The next five minutes was filled with giggles between students that had taken previous classes together and laughter at some of the strange hobbies that popped up.

"Is there anyone I did not call?"

Spencer raised his hand. He had not expected to be on the class list.

"Yes? Name? Major? Place of origin and something quirky."

"Alex Reid." Spencer was attempting to speak slowly. "I grew up in Vegas. I just transferred here from Flagstaff University since their Literature program sort of sucked." Sucked. That was a word that Alex Reid would most certainly make use of a lot.

"Glad to have you with us. Hobby?"

"Um." Spencer bit his lip. He might want to cover his butt now incase he had any outbursts. No, he would be covering his ass. Alex would use ass instead of butt. "I like random statistics and crime facts and stuff like that."

"That's very interesting, Alex. After class, write your name and ID number on a sheet of paper for me so I can add you to the roaster."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now we shall begin. Pushkin! The glorious masterpiece that is 'The Bronze Horseman'!"

Spencer titled a fresh page in his notebook and began to take sparse notes. He felt no need to seem like an overeager student.

BTTB-BTTB-BTTB-BTTB

Once his class ended, Spencer's stomach forced him to seek out a place he always dreaded. A cafeteria. He put in earphones as he walked, plugged into an iPod loaded with music he thought Alex Reid would be into to. He did not push play though. He needed to listen to people around them. As he piled mashed potatoes and chicken tenders on his tray, he eavesdropped in on a conversation happening between two girls in front of him.

"Do you think they caught the killer yet from last semester?" The taller of the two spoke just above a whisper. She was blindingly beautiful. She could pass for JJ's younger sister. She was wearing a black jacket with 'Thompson University Volleyball' emblazoned on the back in red letters. Her shorter friend had a matching jacket.

"I don't think so, Jess. It would've been all over the news."

"Yeah, I guess. It's going to make the party scene blow."

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Mandy. The hotties aren't going to want to go to the club if they're going to be at risk. I mean, wasn't Andrew Kyle last seen at Red Lou's?"

"Yeah. You may be right, but I doubt it."

"What do mean?" The girl Jess stopped and looked at her friend. Spencer's plate was full of way more food than his thin frame could consume.

"Guys want ass. They don't give a shit about a deranged killer when it could stop them from getting laid."

"I hope you're right."

"I probably am. As usual." The girl Mandy flipped her hair.

Spencer stifled a cough brought on from inhaling too much of Mandy's perfume. The two girls' attention were diverted to him.

"Got a case of the munchies?" Jess scoffed at Spencer's plate.

"Um, sure." He grabbed his lunch and quickly paid for it, hearing the one of them whisper "Stoners are so weird." while the other said "Yeah, but that one was kinda cute."

Spencer bee-lined to an empty table and did push play on his iPod once he settled down. The beginning of a song that helped them break a case filtered through the earphones. 'Enter Sandman'.

He had learned that some students were more concerned with partying than with their safety. Maybe he could use that.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. My brother was looking at me like I was night because I was giggling while typing. Anyway, here's chapter number four. Don't worry, the action shall start soon. This is just a quick one. Leave me more reviews and stuff. They make me smile and write quicker. :D

-Brittanie

Chapter 4

A Purr from Home

Spencer was curled up on his bed in his apartment, dressed only in a pair of jeans, school papers strewn everywhere, mixed with the case file and notes he had compiled. Half eaten takeout containers occupied the space that wasn't already filled with dirty clothes or books. Alex Reid was a messy guy. Spencer was beginning to like Alex Reid. Music played softly in the background as Spencer poured over the medical examiner's report again. All four reports were nearly identical. All four men had sex shortly before they died. They all had hickeys on the right side of their necks. All their necks were sliced deeply, down to the bone. Even though Spencer saw worse crime scenes frequently, for some reason, the bone disturbed him. The slashes were clean, not jagged. Spencer guessed that the unsub in control and knew what they were dealing with. Probably a sociopath. A sociopath on a college campus. Great. Just great.

Spencer's phone rang and he reached to the floor to grab the piece of technology out of his shoe. He was the name on the caller ID and smiled before flipping it open.

"Hey Garcia."

"My cutie! When are you coming back, my baby boy?" The technicolor tech goddess's voice assaulted him on the other end. He missed her voice. "We miss you! I miss you. I need my genius in this office. I don't like you being away."

"Calm down, Garcia. I'm fine. I've only been gone nine days."

"Yes! Nine days! Nine days without me seeing your beautiful face! This is worse than Morgan being gone. At least he calls me to check in. But you don't. NO! I won't have it, baby boy. You need to call me every day so I know you're okay. Those tarts at the Philly field office better be treating you right. They treating you right?" She took a breath and Spencer took this as a chance to get a word in before she started her tirade again.

"Yes, Garcia. They're treating me fine, other than piercing my ears and forcing me to wear clothes that I don't feel comfortable in. The team is nice. Small. Agent Royston seems like an older version of Hotch. Agent Danvers is nice."

"Wait. WAIT! Rewind and freeze there, my beautiful brained one. They pierced your ears! Like really pierced?"

"Yeah." Spencer squeaked out.

"OMG! This is great! I totally have some banging earrings that you can have! Oh! Oh! Oh! This is awesome! More awesome than Morgan in hot pants!" Spencer shivered at the thought of him borrowing earrings from the flamboyant Garcia and the thought of Morgan in hot pants made him snort.

"I doubt I'll keep them pierced after I'm done this assignment. Earrings are an Alex Reid thing, not a Spencer Reid thing."

"Alex Reid?" Spencer could have sworn he heard Garcia purr. "That's sexy. Is that your undercover name?"

"Yeah. It's my middle name and it fits the victimology, so I'm going by Alex for now."

"Mmm. Yummy. Can I call you Alex then?"

"I'd prefer it right now. Constant reminder that I'm not supposed to be Spencer."

"Lovely…Alex. So tell me, doc, what is Alex Reid like? Is he one of those wild college boys?" Spencer could picture Garcia biting on the end of one of her fuzzy pens. Shit. He really did unleash the Garcia beast.

"Um. Well, they have me dressing like I walked off the streets of Seattle in 1991. According to some girls in the cafeteria, I look like a stoner and I had the munchies, whatever that means."

"Girls? Oooo. You chatting up some pretty things? I always knew you had it in you! I'm so proud of you. You'll be getting a teddy bear when you get back for a job well done."

"No, I wasn't chatting them up, Penelope. I was eavesdropping in the lunch line."

"Sure you were, sweet thing. Oh shit. I have Morgan calling. I gotta go. They're on a case in Idaho. You stay safe and promise to call me!"

"I will."

"Bye, Alex."

"Bye Garcia."

Spencer hung up the phone. Sometimes he wondered if that woman was certifiable. He glanced at the clock. 7:39pm. He would be going to Red Lou's tonight. Alone. Without his team. Agent Danvers would be there, in the background, but tonight, he had to put Alex Reid into action. He sighed and turned on the water to full blast in his small, dingy shower before stripping and getting in.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hey everyone. Sorry for the delay. I've had a busy few days. Concert. Writing my own fantasy novel. Attending a realllllllly strange party. Suffering from a chronic headache. Getting angry emails from my Russian Lit professors. Anyway, I started another story. It's a crossover between Criminal Minds and Sons of Anarchy called "The Name's Not Reid, It's Teller". Check it out if you want. :D

So, here is chapter 5. Read. Review. But most of all-ENJOY! 3

-Brittanie

Chapter 5

A Rhythm in Red Lou's

Spencer was yet again uncomfortable. His senses were being assaulted without reprieve. Music. Blinking white and green lights. Laughter. Perfumes. Sweat. All mixed together made the genius quite dizzy. He couldn't focus on much.

It was a Friday night and the small yet extremely popular Red Lou's was packed past capacity. Spencer almost expected the doors to burst open at any moment and the place to be shut down from the multiple fire code violations and underage drinking, not to mention the air of illegal drugs hovering over all.

The steady thump of the bass from the fast paced dance music crept out of the oversized speakers flanking a small dance floor, causing many scantily clad females and muscular males to sway in tune, almost as if they were mating in public.

It was intoxicating.

Exotic.

Spencer's gaze fixated on the two girls he listened in on his first day in the cafeteria. They were swaying together. When one went down, the other went up. When the one went left, the other went right. Perfect symmetry. It was slowly causing Spencer to forget the he was there to do a job and that he was not an actual student.

It didn't take long until the girl that Spencer previously referred to as the JJ clone caught his eye and parted from her friend to chat up the boy she didn't know was an undercover agent. Her long legs were lightly tanned, peeking out of an unadorned mahogany dress that just fell past her thighs. Her feet were strapped into brown leather heels that continued to circle upwards in a delicate fine crisscross pattern towards her calves. When she was eye level with Spencer, he could make out a dainty white daisy charm around her neck supported by a line of brown thread. Her blues eyes were augmented by a coating of black eyeliner and a light dusting of brown eye shadow. Her small lips were shiny and held Spencer's eyes longer than he normally would have permitted. This girl blew all thoughts of JJ out of his mind.

Once he could wrench his mouth closed again, he recalled her name.

Jess.

Volleyball Jess.

Beautiful Jess.

"Hey. I remember you from the cafeteria. I'm Jesslyn. My friends call me Jess." The ravishing creature held out her right hand to Spencer. He took her smaller hand lightly into his larger one and gulped, trying to keep his eyes on hers and not at all the perfect places that her dress clung to, revealing enough bare skin to be enticing yet not indecent.

"Alex. Alex Reid." Spencer managed to squeak out.

"Nice to meet you, Alex." She pushed a stray strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled sweetly. "First time to Red Lou's?"

"Yeah. How could you tell?" He stuck his hand in the back pockets of his jeans and looked down, causing his long hair to fall in his face and obscure part of his vision.

"Well, you look like you don't know if you want to bolt out the door or melt into the wall." She chuckled.

"Oh. Sorry." He continued to look down until two of Jess's fingers brought his face back upwards.

"No need to be sorry. I think it's kinda cute."

"Um. Th-thanks?" He stammered out.

"You're quite welcome. Wanna buy me a drink?"

He didn't want to buy her a drink. He really did want to bolt out of Red Lou's, just not to his apartment, but back to Quantico. He didn't want to be Alex Reid anymore. He really wanted Spencer Reid back, with all his statistics and sweater vest, the Spencer Reid that wouldn't be caught dead in a club like this unless he was backing up Morgan on a case. Case. Shit. He was on a case. He needed to blend and learn. Spencer Reid would have to wait for a little longer.

"Sure. What do you want?"

Jess smiled again, this time with a devious curl. She leaned to his ear and whispered with her hot breath, sending chills down to his Converses.

"I want a Vampire."

Spencer shivered even more. He was happy the club was dark because he could feel his cheeks starting to burn.

"A Vampire?"

"Yes. A Vampire. It's an amazing drink. You ever have it?" Her fingers were dancing to their own rhythm on Spencer's shoulder.

"No. I don't drink much."

"Well, it's made of cranberry juice, Chambord, and vodka. It's sweet but it has a bit of a bite to it. That's why I like it. Will you have one with me?"

"Um. Sure."

"To the bar then." Jess slid her right hand into his left, gliding Spencer through the dense crowd to the busy bar.

BTTB-BTTB-BTTB-BTTB

Spencer knew as he drank his sweet drink that he was being watched by one pair of hidden eyes, the eyes of Agent Danvers at a table on a fake date.

What Spencer did not know though was that he was being watched by another pair of eyes.

The eyes of a killer.

A killer who put the name Alex Reid in a mental list of potentials.

He did not know that when Jess was coercing him to buy her another Vampire that the killer had skirted out the double doors of Red Lou's in favor of an activity involving a knife, leaving behind the intoxicated actions of a club entranced by the bass pumping through their brains.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: So, I got bored and started watching a CM marathon so it prompted me to write a bit more. Thanks for all the reads and reviews and alerts. By the way, all the classes and books that I mention in this story, I have personally read and taken in pursuit of my own Literature degree. If this marathon continues, there may be a chapter 7 soon. But for now, here's chapter 6. Love ya all.

-Brittanie

Chapter 6

The Blood in the Snow

A groan escaped Spencer's lips when the shrill sound of someone calling him ripped through his brain, jerking him awake. He had the beginnings of a hangover and was still slightly drunk.

"Fuck."

He tried to get off his bed but his bare left leg got caught in his sheet causing Spencer's face to meet the floor.

"Ouch."

Spencer crawled over to his discarded pants, not trusting his legs at the moment, and reached his phone just as it beeped informing him that he had missed the call. A call from "Dad" aka Agent Royston. The older agent's voice was gruff, barely hiding the tone of annoyance the trickled in as Spencer returned the call.

"So kind of you to take time out of your busy social life, Doc, to call me back."

Spencer sat up with his back to the wall and steadied the phone against his ear as he tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

"Sorry, I was asleep and my phone was across the room. What is it? Anything new with the case?"

"Well, Doc, if you call another murder something new, then yes. Get your butt down here. See if you recognize anyone in the crowd, discreetly of course. I'll need you to come into the office later today too." Agent Royston hung up, leaving Spencer dumbstruck.

He looked at the time on his phone. 3:37pm. He had slept nearly twelve hours. He never sleeps more than four or five. Maybe drinking those Vampires wasn't too smart of an idea.

BTTB-BTTB-BTTB-BTTB

Spencer's eyes were in pain. His contacts were itching like crazy behind his sunglasses. The glare off of the freshly fallen snow intensified the strength of his headache. It was 4:15 by the time Spencer made it to the patch of woods sectioned off by caution tape. It was packed with bystanders, student and faulty alike. The crime scene was swarming with local police, campus security, forensics and some suits.

Spencer could make out Agent Royston and his team bending over the body of a thin blonde man who's face was obscured by his right arm. At this angle, Spencer's eye was drawn to the deep red gash in the middle of the bluish peach color of the man's throat. He could see a bit of bone poking out of the congealed wound. The theme of red and white circled through Spencer's brain. He felt sick. He swallowed and tasted bile. He needed to get out of the front of the crowd.

Once safely removed from the throng, Spencer extracted his phone from his pocket and pretended to be involved in a phone call while examining the crowd. He recognized three faces. Jess's friend Mandy, a boy from his Apocalyptic Literature class, and a female bartender from Red Lou's.

When the body was being loaded into the coroner's van, Spencer found himself standing next to the bartender. He looked her over. She was thin, maybe 5'7" with mousey brown hair that fell down her back in soft waves. Her brown eyes were framed by thick, stylish purple glasses. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from being whipped from the wind. Her paleness gave her the look of someone that had seen too much and kept it all inside. She ran her hands up the sleeves of her black peacoat in an attempt to generate heat. Her gaze was stuck on the blood left in the snow and the outline that the corpse had left. They stood in silence for a few minutes before she spoke.

"It never lessens. The feeling that you could be next." She didn't look at Spencer but kept her eyes firmly on the faraway ground.

"Yeah, though I think I should be more scared than you. Only guys are being killed. Unless you are an extremely feminine male, than I can guess you're sort of safe."

"You're never safe. They're someone always out there."

They continued to stand in silence. Statistics were running through Spencer's brain but he couldn't pick one to comfort the girl next to him. A soft laughter broke him out of his mental stupor.

"I'm sorry. I tend to be somewhat depressing sometimes." She turned her body to face Spencer. "I'm Adrienne. Adrienne Louis."

"Alex Reid." He looked down at her. Her brown eyes were ringed with red, showing a hint that she had been crying.

"I don't want to be alone right now. Can you come and get some coffee with me?" Adrienne bit her lip and hastened rubbing her arms.

"Yeah. Did you know him?"

"Please. Coffee." Her vulnerability made Spencer push aside his desire to question her further.

"Yeah. Sure. Do you know any good places? I'm new around here."

"The Jammery. It's on Fifth Street. We can walk there from here."

"Sounds good."

Both took a last glance at the blood-ruined snow before walking slowly out of the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey everyone. Sorry I haven't updated in like a month. I've been very down mentally so this chapter was tough to write. I went on a vacation to the beach and started reading George R.R. Martin's "Storm of Swords", so I've also been a bit busy. Anyway, I'm going on another vacation soon to a cabin in a wooded area a few states away so I'm not sure what the internet situation will be there, but I'll probably write while there but post when I'm back. Thanks for everyone that has read and reviewed. It really means a great deal to me. Without any further ado, here's the next installment.

-Brittanie

Chapter 7

A Story of Tears

The Jammery would have been a five minute walk away from the crime scene if Spencer and Adrienne didn't have to navigate through ice and slush. They walked together in silence. Neither spoke until they were at the front of the line in the crowded coffee shop and needed to order. With both their coffees in hand, the two found their way to one of the few open tables by the window. Spencer's companion seemed to zone out while looking out the window, watching the fresh snowflakes travel their track to the ground. He was the first one to break the silence.

"So, Adrienne, what's your major?"

The young woman sighed before tearing her gaze away from the window.

"I don't have a major anymore." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"What do you mean? You're not a student here?"

"No. I was a student. But not here. I'm not a student anymore though. I can't be, not after what happened." She took a long drag from her coffee, avoiding Spencer's eyes.

"What happened?"

"It's a sad story. You don't want to hear it."

"Yes I do, otherwise I wouldn't have asked." Spencer could not figure out why, but Adrienne intrigued him, more than Jess. He had to restrain the urge to get up and sit next to her to comfort her. He never got urges like that. It confused him.

"I don't know. You seem like a sweet guy, Alex. I don't know if I want to scare you away."

"It will take a lot to scare me away. I haven't had the easiest life, so I think I can handle whatever you say." He reached over with his left hand, placing it on her free hand and gave it a small squeeze.

"Okay. Well, I used to be a Creative Writing major at NYU until a little over a year ago. I was a junior when I left. Oh, Alex, I loved it there, in New York City. So many people. So much to do. Every night or so I would sit in the a park a few blocks from my studio apartment and just watch people. You know, as research. The only way to truly write characters that come off as real people is to watch real people."

"About four months before I left the city, I noticed that I wasn't the only person people watching. A handsome boy, man in truth, would sit under a tree near my bench almost every day, watching me as I watched others. I remember I was writing notes on a mother disciplining her child the first time he spoke to me. His voice was soft but scratchy. His eyes were a deep blue. A pale, round face with lips that were chapped, probably from chewing on them too much. His hair was short and curly, almost black. His name was David and he was a year younger than me. He asked to see what I was writing."

"It wasn't until a month into the relationship that I realized I had made a mistake by not telling him to go away that day. I started missing classes. He would not let me be alone. He would follow me wherever I went, the deli, the coffee shop, writers' groups, saying he was there to protect me. He liked to touch me when we were out, anything, whether it be holding my hand, an arm around my shoulder, a hand in my back pocket. He would get angry whenever I pulled away. The first time he tried to have sex with me I convinced him otherwise and we curled up to watch a movie instead. The second time I wasn't so convincing. Or the third. Or the fourth. I lost count by the time I broke."

"I dropped out and moved down here to live with my uncle. He owns Red Lou's. It wasn't long before I noticed I was pregnant. I always wanted a child, but not like that. So, I took care of it. I don't know if I'll ever go back to school. I can barely write anymore. Not without seeing his face and seeing the face of the child that I…I…killed. It's always a baby boy, never a girl. I came close to taking my own life twice, my uncle found me the second time. And now these killings, I don't know. They just make me think too much. I'm starting to watch again and that's scaring me."

Both had tears in their eyes when Adrienne fell silent again. Spencer's coffee felt cold, almost as cold as the feeling growing inside of him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. That should never happen to anyone, ever."

"There's no need to be sorry, you didn't do anything. You weren't the one that forced himself on me or killed my baby." She couldn't meet his eyes, fixating on the falling snow as before.

"I know, but still."

"I think I'm going to go. I should probably get back to the bar." She stood and made to walk away but she didn't get far before Spencer grabbed her arm. He immediately regretted doing so when he felt her flinch.

"If you need anyone to talk to, you should give me a call. Even if you just want to talk about the weather or whatever." He pulled a pen out of his jacket pocket and scrawled his number on her hand. "Anytime. I'll answer even if I'm in class."

"Thanks, Alex. It means a lot. I shall do that." She left the Jammery with a small smile on her lips, glancing back at Spencer as she walked across the street.

Spencer pulled out his phone as he walked up to get a fresh cup of coffee to go. He waited for the call to connect.

"Hey, Garcia."

"Oh! It's my sweet dirty boy from up North. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Can you look someone up for me."

"Got a lead in your case?"

"No, I don't think she's a suspect."

"She? Oh, I'm interested now! You meeting something sweet? I can feel some jealousy growing in my heart."

" Yes, she's a she. And no, it's not connected to the case."

"Oh! My dove! You did meet someone! I'm so proud of you. When can I meet her?

"Garcia…"

"Come on, Reid! This is big."

"Oh, be quiet.

"But…"

"Please."

"Okay, but this isn't over, junior G-Man."

"Alright."

"Name?"

"Adrienne Louis."


End file.
